Eggs for Breakfast – It’s Like Magic!

The incomparable Helen Dutton of 8:30am Concord fame shared an article with me this morning that is definitely worth forwarding, and paying attention to!

It seems like eating a little fat and protein in the morning and keeping fat and calories low in the evening might actually be good for you! Who knew?  🙂

According to research at the University of Connecticut, those who ate eggs at breakfast ate 112 fewer calories at an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet three hours later than did those who ate a bagel for breakfast. Not only that, they consumed 400 fewer calories over the next 24 hours than did the bagel crunchers.

That is huge!

A pound of fat stores approximately 3500 calories of energy. The extra 400 calories would add up to a pound of fat every 9 days or so. Over the course of a year overeating 400 calories a day would add an extra 40 pounds on the backside (and other places).

I love eggs, but I know that is not the case for everybody. The point is to eat SOME sort of protein rich breakfast, and leave the bagels, donuts and boxed cereal alone. There is a commercial I saw the other day that says “Our cereal has as much protein as an egg”.

Well here’s an idea guys – Just Eat The Egg!

Make It Happen,

Dean

Thanks for a Great Time at the Jingle Bell Run 2010

Thanks to all who participated and donated to the Arthritis Foundation 2010 Jingle Bell Run. Thanks to you all our team raised $1195 so far to help further research and treatment for this debilitating disease which affects so many.

As always it was a lot of fun getting out there in the crisp December air and getting some more exercise. I gotta tell you though, Chuck P. form the 6:30 class wore me OUT! That man is incredible! It was nice to meet and catch up with some folks that Nancy and I don’t see too often as we train different classes. It was great to see Jessica and meet her awesome mom Betty. Thanks to Mary and Joyce for bringing the “pooches”, and congrats to Joyce’s pup Colbi for winning best costume. Thanks to Terry, Dawn, Karyn, Kim, Robin for getting out with us as well. Coach CJ blazed the course with a time just over 19 minutes – not bad for a guy who has been focusing on distance events.

Hey Deb and Adam, I didn’t see you after the race. Who beat who?  🙂

Also thanks to Margaret and Patti from the Arthritis foundation for letting us lead the race warm-up and to all who participated.

If there is anyone I forget I apologize – old age ya know!

Here’s a few pics – enjoy!

Yogurt Marinated Chicken

Give your traditional old chicken dinner some spunk with this exciting new marinade. Your taste buds will celebrate over the tender taste of yogurt and garlic with a hint of spice.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup fat-free yogurt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 tablespoon minced fresh gingerroot
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 6 bone-in skinless breast halves (6 ounces each)

Instructions

1. In a large re-sealable plastic bag, combine the first nine ingredients; add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
2. Coat grill rack with nonstick cooking spray before starting the grill for indirect heat. Drain and discard marinade.
3. Grill chicken, covered, bone side down over indirect medium heat for 20 minutes. Turn; grill 20 – 30 minutes longer or until juices run clear.
4. This dish can also be baked in the oven. Place the chicken in a 9×13 pan. Heat the oven to 375 degrees and bake for 35 minutes or until juices run clear.

What’s The Big Deal About Exercise Anyway?

So you’ve slacked off a bit and avoided exercise.

Maybe your job demands too much of your time or you simply fell out of the routine. I have good news for you. Whether you’ve taken off one year, ten years or haven’t exercised a day in your life – it’s never too late to start.

You see there are problems with living a life devoid of exercise.

Big problems.

Your weight rises along with your blood pressure and cholesterol. Your muscles and joints degenerate at an astounding rate leaving you with daily aches and pains. Your body becomes weak, making you susceptible to all kinds of medical issues.

Why Should I Start Now? You’ve heard about the benefits that consistent exercise bring, but what if you haven’t been consistent? Should you even start at all?

This has been the subject of many medical studies and the results are unanimous:  Exercise helps improve your quality of life even if you start late.

Researchers are constantly finding new benefits to consistent exercise. It’s no wonder that Dr. Robert Butler, of the National Institute on Aging, once said “If exercise could be put into a pill, it would be the single most prescribed medicine in the world.” Imagine if a pill could offer all of these benefits (without harmful side effects):

• Substantially reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and osteoporosis
• Decreases the risk for stroke, colon cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure
• Helps to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight
• Contributes to healthy bones, muscles and joints
• Helps relieve anxiety and depression
• Promotes well-being and reduces stress
• Is associated with fewer doctor visits, hospitalizations and medications
• Helps prevent and treat chronic medical conditions associated with old age
• Increases energy levels and promotes sound sleep
• Strengthens immune system

I know that I would take that pill – wouldn’t you? Exercise may not be something that you can gulp down with a glass of water, but it will offer you all of the above benefits that can greatly enhance your quality of life. Excuses, excuses, excuses… I know what you are thinking. Those benefits sound great, but I can’t exercise because:

• Exercise is painful. Not if you do the type most suitable for you.
• Exercise is boring. Most people who exercise find it to be quite enjoyable.
• Exercise takes too long. It only takes 30-60 minutes a day.
• Exercise is confusing. Not when you work with a trained professional (me).
• Exercise is for young people. Studies have shown that exercise benefits people of all ages.

Get Started the Right Way. Many people have started an exercise program only to quit days later. Now that you have decided that exercise may be worth your time after all, ensure your success with the following tips:

• Make a Commitment

You know the meaning and value of a solid commitment. It’s in your blood. So don’t view exercise as something you will merely try. You will only reap the true benefits of exercise when you stick with it. A great way to reinforce your commitment is to solicit the support of your friends and family. Tell them how you plan to improve your health and quality of life through exercise – who knows, they may join you.

• Set Reachable Goals

This is an immensely important ingredient to your success. Don’t start your exercise program with unreasonable expectations. If you expect to lose all of your unwanted pounds, drop your blood pressure and cure your joint pain all in one week then you will be sorely disappointed.

Remember that it took years for your body to fall out of shape so it makes sense that it will take some time to regain it. The key to unlocking all of the benefits of exercise lies in one word: consistency. Only then will your body be transformed.

• Rearrange Your Schedule

They say that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. This may be because his schedule simply didn’t allow for it. The truth is that as we age there is a tendency to become ‘stuck in our ways.’ The thought of rearranging your schedule may leave you a bit squeamish. Remind yourself that exercise is worth your time and then think long and hard about your daily schedule. The fact is that you do have time to lend toward exercise – you simply need to find it. Your class time at bootcamp is an appointment- keep your appointments.

• Increase the Challenge

You should start your exercise program with the thought of easing into it. Since you haven’t exercised in awhile your body will need to build up strength and endurance. Consider a car that has been sitting in your garage for years. You wouldn’t turn it on and instantly slam down on the gas would you? You need to warm it up. However, this warm up period should not last forever. Your body has an amazing ability to adapt to new challenges and will grow complacent when asked to do the same exercises over and over. When your routine begins to feel easy take that as a hint to increase the challenge.

I want to help you achieve all of the benefits that consistent exercise can bring you.

To your best Health,

Coach Nancy

Keep The Pies Off The Thighs…Thanksgiving 2010

We had 46 incredible bootcampers getting trained by your 3 favorite trainers 🙂 at our annual post-Thanksgiving “Keep the Pies off the Thighs” workout!

Thanks to everyone who made it out this morning, and I trust all our bootcamp family will have a great weekend!

Make It Happen!!!

Dean, Nancy, and CJ

Don’t Be Afraid To Succeed

I know this week is Thanksgiving and everyone is hoping I would leave the talk about food behind just for one week. I’m not going to do that. Would you really want or expect anything less from me? I don’t expect anything less from you this week.

Afraid To Succeed

Are you afraid to reach your health and fitness goals?

No really, are you? Sound like a dumb question? If not fear, what is holding you back?

If you are one of my clients, or have been reading this newsletter for a while, I am convinced you have the tools you need to succeed.

In the past year we have covered a wide range of topics – from the benefits of exercise, to the importance of drinking water, to discussing why fad diets don’t work. The knowledge is there. If you are not progressing, it is because you are not translating that knowledge into action. Why not?

Believe it or not, many people are happier being fat and whining about it than actually doing anything about it.

How do I know? Because every time I talk to them, there is a different reason why they haven’t lost the weight. One week it is because they were too tired to work out, so we talk about priorities and the importance of sleep. The next week is because they forgot how to do the exercises, so we go over proper execution – again. The next time I talk to them, they have been too busy to eat – and it goes on and on.

It makes me wonder, what takes more effort, training several times a week or whining seven days a week. The fear of success is almost as debilitating as the fear of failure. After all, if I reach my fitness goals, what will I have to whine about? Where will I direct my (negative) energies? Think about it. How many times have you started to lose weight, got about halfway to your goal and quit? Why did you do that?

The battle begins and ends in the mind. And then it translates into action. What is holding you back? What are you going to do about it?

I am planning to enjoy Thanksgiving to the fullest, and I hope you will as well. My family will be together. It will be wonderful. But I won’t let one day turn into six weeks of overeating and undo everything I’ve worked for over the last many months. It’s a pretty easy choice for me to make.

Here’s To Making The Next Right Choice!

To your best Health,

Coach Nancy

Keep The Pies Off Your Thighs

I don’t know about y’all (a little southern lingo there) but I am looking forward to Thanksgiving this week. My son Tim is visiting with his wife Deb, Jeff his bringing his fiance Kimberley up from North Carolina, I am guessing the three younger ones won’t go anywhere, so it’s going to be a full house this week! I hope you take the time to enjoy family and friends and make some great memories!

Ok, enough of the sappy stuff, let’s get down to business!

How DO I keep those pies (and stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry, mashed potatoes, and dinner rolls) off my thighs anyway?

Well not stuffing your face is the best way (when it comes right down to it), but for some more practical tips, you’ll want to check out this article:

10 Holiday Diet Strategies To Save You From Stretchy Pants

I love all the “extras” at Thanksgiving, but don’t forget the star of the show, Roasted Turkey! We’ve put together some recipes to use those leftovers up, as well as some reasons you’ll want to eat this terrific protein source all year round.

How To Use Your Thanksgiving Turkey To Create Healthy, Fat Blasting Meals

I would be remiss if I didn’t include some holiday eating tips written by my dad. He doesn’t mess around when it comes to eating, so you might want to read what he has to say…

Holiday Eating Tips from Dad

Here’s wishing you and yours a great week filled with joy and thanksgiving. From all of us at Get Fit NH Bootcamp, thank-YOU for letting us be part of your lives, and for being part of the elite few who Makes It Happen – Every Day!

Dean

Get Fit NH Bootcamp To Hold Open House at New Expanded Facility

Epsom-based fitness bootcamp Get Fit NH Bootcamp (GFNH) moved into an expanded training facility, located at 287 South Main St. on November 8, 2010. Get Fit NH Bootcamp helps busy people achieve the best shape of their lives at only a fraction of the cost of personal training. The program has been awarded the “Best Gym In Concord” by the Hippo Press, and owner and coach Dean Carlson has been awarded “Best Fitness Instructor in Concord” by the Hippo Press and Concord Insider. Classes are running in the state-of-the-art 4,700 square foot training facility on Mondays, Tuesday, Thursdays and Fridays at 5:00am, 6:30am, and 8:30am. Get Fit NH Bootcamp will be offering a free two-week tryout to interested residents in the greater Concord area.

To celebrate the opening, Get Fit NH Bootcamp will be hosting an open house at the new location on Saturday December 11, 2010 from 10:00am to 2:00pm. The open house will feature free chair massage from Chichester Massage, as well as the opportunity to talk with Get Fit NH Bootcamps allied health partners from Performance Health Sport and Spine Therapy, Whole Health Concord and Chiropractic Health Innovations. Get Fit NH Bootcamp is also grateful to be partnering with “Sally’s Hairem” to collect canned goods for our local food pantry. Everyone who brings in a canned good will be eligible to get a free cut the day of the open house. The first 50 people will also receive a special edition “Get Fit NH Bootcamp” t-shirt, and the fun, food and prizes don’t stop there!

Get Fit NH Bootcamp currently offers classes in Epsom as well as the new South Main St. Concord location. Many GFNH clients take advantage of the flexibility offered with 8 total class times per day in the two locations to fit training into a busy schedule. Get Fit NH Bootcamp Concord’s expanded facility will allow more classes to be added in the near future. “We are grateful to all our clients for choosing to train with us” remarked Carlson “We look forward to expanding our class times and helping more Concord residents get healthy and fit”.

To activate your free two-week tryout, email getfitnh@gmail.com or call 603-344-2651 to reserve your spot, as space is limited. For more information you can visit their website at www.GetFitNHBootcamp.com

ABS-Solutely

So you want to narrow your waist, flatten your abs and become the envy of all your friends, right? Of course you do – who doesn’t?

Well, here is yet another reason to get slim and trim: recent studies suggest that an excess of fat deposits around the abdominal region significantly contributes to the risk of heart disease, diabetes and other life-threatening conditions.

Whether your motivation for attaining great abs is rooted in the health benefits or in looking phenomenal then this is one blog you simply must read all the way through.

Why is it that so many people wish they had great abs, but never quite get there?

Contrary to popular belief, doing millions of crunches will not sculpt your abs. The key to creating an enviable midsection lies in your ability to effectively challenge your abdominal muscles and your nutrition. The “crunch” movement only targets your “upper” abdominal muscles, the ones found between your rib cage and belly button. Imagine you are doing a crunch – better yet, get down and do one – notice where you feel the burn. Those are your upper abs. To effectively develop your abs, focus on strengthening your upper, lower and side abdominal muscles. In order to achieve an overall look of symmetry your fitness program should target all three parts of your midsection. A surefire way to kick up the intensity, and thus the results, of your workout is to add resistance training. By working your body against resistance you open up the possibility for greater muscle stimulation and that equals greater results.

Oh yeah, just one more thing…in order to show off your breathtaking abs they need to come out of hiding. This means burning off the layer of fat. (No matter how big or small it may be.)

The following two pronged approach works every time:

First, consistent exercise is needed to burn off stored energy. I recommend interval training over steady state cardio. What is interval training? A short definition is  – short, high-intensity periods of exercise alternated with periods of low-intensity exercise or rest. An example for a beginner might be 30 seconds of a quick paced mountain climber or high knees followed by 30 seconds of walkouts or marching.  Why train with intervals?  Interval training has been shown to be more effective at fighting fat and improving your health than just hopping on the treadmill for the normal 30 minutes. While there can be a place for this kind of training, intervals have the advantage of being a more effective workout in a shorter period of time, with better results. Why? Because your body continues to work after the workout is over – steady state cardio does not do this.

Second (and just as, if not more important), to uncover your abdominal muscles we have to discuss….your eating habits. I’m sorry to say it, but the food that you put in your mouth has a direct effect on the size and shape of your waist. As the saying goes “Abs are made in the kitchen”…

Use these three pointers to slash fat:

• Eat small meals frequently throughout the day and avoid overeating.

• Processed foods should be kept to a minimum or avoided completely.

• Load up on vegetables and lean meat.

Contrary to popular belief we all have abs, it’s just a matter of doing what it takes to see them.

To your best health,

Coach Nancy

Healthy Fish Fingers

This recipe solves the unhealthy dilemma of frying by baking these family favorites instead.  The crunchy texture and fresh taste will leave a smile on your face long after your plate is empty.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pound cod fillets, partially thawed
• 1/2 cup almond meal, divided
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 cup 1% buttermilk

Instructions:

1. Cut fillets into 3/4-inch strips; set aside. In a shallow bowl, combine ¼ cup of the almond meal, parmesan cheese, parsley, lemon peel, paprika, thyme and garlic salt. Place buttermilk in another shallow bowl and the remaining almond meal in a third bowl.

2. Coat fish strips with plain almond meal; dip into buttermilk, then coat with seasoned almond meal mixture. Place on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with peanut oil. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

3. Bake at 425 degrees for 15  –  20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Let stand for 2 minutes before removing from baking sheet.